Nov 17 (NW) Sri Lanka welcomes two millionth tourist for 2025, signalling strong rebound in arrivals. Sri Lanka on Monday marked a major milestone in its post-crisis tourism recovery, welcoming its two millionth visitor for 2025 — a French couple who arrived at BIA on 17 Nov. The SLTDA said the country is now on track to reach at least 2.3 million tourist arrivals this year, moving closer to its annual target of 2.5 million. more..

Nov 17 (AD) The govt today signed loan agreements to obtain US$ 300 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Loan Agreements were signed between the govt and the ADB at the Treasury in Colombo by Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, on behalf of the govt of SL and Takafumi Kadono, Country Director of ADB SL Residence Mission, on behalf of the ADB. The govt held discussions with more..

Nov 17 (CT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, on Saturday, presented to Parliament a detailed breakdown of foreign travel undertaken by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the expenditure incurred by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake since assuming office. According to figures tabled in Parliament, former Prez Wickremesinghe undertook 24 foreign trips between 2022 and 2024, accompanied by a total of 385 individuals, at a combined cost exceeding Rs 1 billion. more..

Nov 17 (DM) ITAK has demanded the immediate resignation of all Tamil members of the NPP, including Trincomalee District MP and Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, following the govt’s handling of a Buddha statue installation in Trincomalee. A tense situation arose on Tuesday night when a group attempted to place a Buddha statue at a Dhamma school within a temple in the area. Police were deployed to defuse the situation, and the statue was subsequently removed more..

Nov 17 (AD) SL Police have issued a statement regarding video footage showing unrest connected to the removal of a Buddha statue from the premises of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee. According to the Police, following the incident, fabricated stories are being circulated widely on various media platforms. A media statement was issued to clarify the accurate account of the incident. SL Police observed a potential for tensions between communities arising from more..

Nov 17 (NW) A discussion aimed at formulating a systematic programme to address the issues faced by local big onion farmers was held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat. It was held under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land & Irrigation, K.D. Lal Kantha, together with the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe. Minister K.D. Lal kantha more..

Nov 17 (NW) Founder of the SLPP Basil Rajapaksa is due to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court on Friday (21), in connection with a case involving the alleged illegal acquisition of land using Rs. 50 million in unlawfully obtained funds. However, it remains uncertain whether the former minister will return to Sri Lanka for the hearing. Rajapaksa’s legal team in May told the court he is receiving treatment in the US for spinal and nerve complications following a fall from a chair. more..

Nov 17 (AD) Former Minister Mervyn Silva today pleaded not guilty to the charges filed before the Colombo High Court by the CIABOC, which accuse him of illegally acquiring assets while serving as a minister. The case filed by the Bribery Commission against the former minister over the alleged unlawful acquisition of assets was taken up today before Colombo HC Judge Mohammed Mihal. During the hearing, Mervyn Silva, through his counsel informed court that he pleads not guilty to the charges. more..

Nov 17 (TM) Lanka Coal Company (LCC) has finalised its long-term coal procurement for the upcoming season, with bonds deposited by Indian supplier Trident Chemphar Ltd. Ministry of Power & Energy Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala stated that supply contracts had been awarded following Cabinet approval and confirmed that the bond money had been deposited by the company last week. more..

Nov 17 (CT) Kumar Sangakkara will perform the dual role of head coach and director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026, with Vikram Rathour, batting coach last season, elevated to assistant coach. As reported in September, in Sangakkara’s case, the change in designation is a formality, since he had performed the two roles even in IPL 2025 after head coach Rahul Dravid and RR parted ways. Sangakkara had previously served as the team’s head coach from 2021 to 2024, more..

Nov 17 (TM) Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death in abstentia by a court in Dhaka for crimes against humanity over a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. A three-judge bench of the country’s international crimes tribunal convicted Hasina of crimes including incitement, orders to kill, and inaction to prevent atrocities, carried out as she oversaw a crackdown on anti-govt protesters last year. Reading the verdict to the court, more..

Nov 17 (FT) On 14 Nov, the second reading of the Budget for the year 2026 was adopted in Parliament with a majority of 118 votes. That is no surprise with the JVP/NPP having 159 MPs in the current Parliament. It was also no surprise to see three Opposition MPs representing the plantation sector voting for the Budget, with statements that they do so, in favour of wage increases promised by the Govt for the plantation sector workers. None would oppose wage increases to any sector more..

Nov 17 (FT) Polythene bags which are humorously called Sili-Sili bags due to the exceptional chattering sound they make when in use, made its strong entry into SL’s popular consumerist culture in early 1980s. Prior to that, when the country was under a strict import control regime, polythene bags were so scanty that they were treated as a luxury item available only to those who had got the rare opportunity of traveling abroad. Thus, it was an exclusive item used only by a few people more..

Nov 17 (TM) Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to commence a series of Trade Union (TU) actions beginning Monday (17) in response to ongoing shortages of medical staff, equipment, and essential medicines in the public health system. GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe stated that while a full-scale strike remained a last resort, the association was prepared to escalate actions if govt failed to respond. more..

Nov 17 (SO) With mounting pressure from across the political spectrum over the prolonged delay in Provincial Council elections, the Government has decided to appoint a special Select Committee to resolve the issue. Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament yesterday (15) that the Committee will review the legal framework governing the polls and take steps to ensure that the elections will be held without further delay. more..

Nov 17 (TM) The main Opposition, SJB, stated that they would decide whether to accept the double cabs or not as the Govt proceeds with its plan to import vehicles for MPs. SJB General Secretary and MP Ranjith Maddumabandara said that the party had not yet reached a decision on the offer. “We have not made a decision. It is the Govt that has to decide whether to go ahead with the import. As they move forward, we will decide whether to accept the cabs or not.” His comments came after more..

Nov 17 (ST) The NMRA has published the maximum retail prices (MRP) of 350 medications, calling on the public to report to the regulator any individual or institution that sells these products at higher prices. The move comes after the Court of Appeal on Wednesday lifted an interim injunction that had prevented the NMRA or its pricing committee from imposing price controls on any medicine in respect of which price control more..

Nov 17 (DM) Claiming that no legal bearing of opposition claims on allocating state funds for the payment of estate workers’ attendance allowance, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said Rs. 5,000 million was allocated to the Plantations Ministry and not to increase wages of workers in a private company. Minister told parliament that the Plantations Ministry has powers, capacity and legal basis to use funds allocated to the Ministry to use for development of the plantations sector. more..

Nov 17 (AD) A 25-year-old individual, a father of one, has been arrested on charges of an attempted sexual assault of a foreign national woman in the Thirukkovil area, after a video of the incident was widely circulated on social media. The arrest was made today (16) during a special search operation carried out in the Marandamadu area of Kalmunai by the OIC of the Thirukkovil Police and a team of officers. Police report that the suspect, a father of one, had been living with his wife more..

Nov 17 (FT) Senior Adviser to the Prez Duminda Hulangamuwa said SL should make a strategic pivot towards high-value service exports, citing deep-rooted structural constraints that limit the country’s ability to scale up manufacturing exports despite decades of incentives and free trade agreements (FTAs). Highlighting the persistent challenges facing SL’s export sector, he said export diversification and growth are not merely Govt issues but broader structural challenges within the economy. more..

Nov 17 (NW) The Armed Forces Remembrance and Poppy flower celebration Day commemoration ceremony was held on 16th of Nov 2025 at the Cenotaph War Memorial at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The Cenotaph War Memorial has been built in memory of war heroes from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) who were killed in action during World War I and World War II. It was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens. more..

Nov 17 (FT) Earnings from tourism remained well below expectations despite welcoming a record number of visitors in Oct 2025, underscoring the sector’s struggle to convert rising arrivals into meaningful economic gains. Earnings in October inched up by just 0.3% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 186.1 million, revealing a widening disconnect between visitor growth and actual spending. Despite the record surge in arrivals, more..

Nov 17 (FT) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka (MBFWSL) returns from 19–23 November 2025, hosted at Cinnamon Life, marking the next chapter of a movement that has reshaped how fashion functions in South Asia. What began nearly a decade ago as a collaboration between AOD and DIMO, the only Authorised General Distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Sri Lanka, has grown into an ecosystem: one that connects design, education, industry, mobility, culture, and sustainability. more..

Nov 17 (FT) Ceylon United Business Alliance (CUBA) Industry Sub-Committee Chairman and former KPMG Ford, Rhodes, Thornton & Co, Statutory Auditor M.R. Jeffrey has warned that Sri Lanka should not dismantle tariffs or para-tariffs under the Economic Stabilisation Act, No. 45 of 2024 until the nation’s foreign exchange reserves reach a sustainable and safe threshold. Jeffrey noted that while the Act aims to modernise tariff structures and create a transparent system, more..

Nov 17 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) said it has reported a robust financial performance for the third quarter & 9 months ended 30 Sept, continuing an upward trajectory with substantial improvements in profitability, operational efficiency, and strategic cost management. In a statement, SLT said the Group’s disciplined execution and focus on financial resilience have resulted in a sustained turnaround from the previous year, strengthening its position as a key enabler of digital economy. more..

Nov 17 (DN) Defending champions Afghanistan ‘A’ registered a thrilling 3 wicket win with one ball to spare over SL ‘A’ in their T-20 game of the Asia Cup Rising Stars cricket tournament played in Qatar on Saturday. Milan Ratnayake the bowling all rounder hit 19 ball 41 with 4 fours and 3 sixes while leg spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth had superb figures of 3 for 28 but it was in vain as Afghanistan fought back to seal the victory in 19.5 overs. However SL ‘A’ led by Dunith Wellalage put up a good more..

Nov 17 (DM) Around 10,000 female sex workers of SL have organised themselves under a common banner to push for their legal and social recognition. Organisation called Prajasakthi Sanwardana Padanama (Community Empowerment Foundation), has been formed in the face of sex workers facing arrests, social discrimination and govt welfare benefits meant for others, according to its Executive Director H.A. Lakshman. more..

Nov 17 (FT) Aitken Spence PLC has recorded a revenue of Rs. 40.7 billion for the six months ending 30 September 2025, reflecting operational resilience across its diversified businesses. The Tourism sector accounted for 64.3% of Group revenue, while the Maritime and Freight Logistics sector and Strategic Investments sector contributed 19.4% and 13.9%, respectively. The Group’s Maritime and Freight Logistics sector reported profit from operations of Rs. 2.2 billion, more..

Nov 17 (Island) Off-spinner Nushan Perera created a piece of history for St. Joseph’s and Damesh Mathishan and Reshon Soloman took honours in their respective matches as St. Joseph’s, Darley Road and St. Joseph Vaz’s College Wennappuwa recorded victories in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ tournament matches played during the weekend. ‎According to St. Joseph’s statisticians Nushan became the first bowler in their more than 100 year old cricket history to take more..

Nov 17 (Island) In the shadowy war against financial crime, SL’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) serves as the nation’s central nervous system, tirelessly tracking the illicit flows of money laundering and terror financing. At a recent event, Dr. Subhani Keerthiratne, Unit’s Director, pulled back the curtain on this critical operation, revealing both hard-won gains and a glaring, multi-million-rupee vulnerability: unchecked splurge more..

Nov 17 (FT) Nations Trust Bank has reported strong financial results for the nine months ending 30 Sept 2025, reporting a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 14.9 billion, up 23% year-on-year (YoY). In a statement, NTB said the bank’s performance is underpinned by strong asset growth, steady Net Interest Margins (NIMs), and asset quality, with a net Stage 3 ratio of 1.03%. A strong capital base continued to be the foundation of the bank’s growth story, with a Return on Equity (ROE) of 23.20%, more..

Nov 17 (Island) The blue economy means sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of marine ecosystems. It spans fisheries and aquaculture, port-led logistics, marine biotechnology, renewable offshore energy, coastal tourism & marine services, such as ocean observation and mapping. As an example, India is actively preparing to harness its marine assets through place-based policy, infrastructure more..